Canberra Goes Private

Selling off state-owned enterprises benefits Australians.

Feb. 13, 2014 12:01 p.m. ET

Finance ministers from the G-20 converge on Australia next week, and they might learn something from their host government in Canberra. Prime Minister Tony Abbott's government has set out to privatize public assets worth up to 130 billion Australian dollars ($117 billion).

Joe Hockey, Mr. Abbott's treasurer, floated that number and pressed the case for privatization in an interview with the Journal's Rob Taylor and David Winning this week. The government views the proceeds from asset sales as a way to manage debt levels...